1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a Deployable Morphing Modular Solar Array (DMMSA) and, more particularly, the invention relates to a subassembly of the solar array, the Deployable Morphing Modular Solar Power Assembly (DMMSPA) that makes the system modular, increases the deployed stiffness of the solar array, improves deployed first mode natural frequency of the system, and reduces overall manufacturing costs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The current state-of-the-art (SOA) in solar arrays involves a highly customized design and testing effort for each spacecraft mission that does not use the significant design and production commonality existing among existing systems. The result of this approach is that each solar array is unique, costly, and long lead. In addition, this approach is contrary to what is required to support the commercial, Air Force and other agency needs, i.e., higher performance than current State of the Art (SOA), low cost inventory strategies of common components, rapid response to mission needs, and modular architecture that is semi-customizable and compatible across multiple missions.
Additionally, photovoltaic cell technology is evolving rapidly to the point that current solar array structural and mechanical systems do not optimize system level mass and volume performance potential. It is desirable to have a solar array that decreases production costs through modularity, significantly improves power to stowed volume ratio (W/m3) and specific power (W/kg) over conventional SOA systems. In addition, it would be desirable to have a deployable solar array with revolutionary cost and performance improvements that is mechanically simple while meeting the requirements of currently available, as well as future solar cells.
The current solar array technology uses primarily panel based solar arrays that are poorly suited to leveraging the advantages of the next generation of Inverted-Meta-Morphic (IMM) multi junction thinned solar cells and their low areal density that are coming on the market in the near future.
Finally, the current SOA in ultra-high Performance deployable solar arrays uses membrane mounted solar cells and is designed for large spacecraft applications. There are two configurations, a dish-type fan fold or a blanket-type solar array. Both systems are mechanically complex and do not scale to smaller spacecraft applications.